Remember last winter, when Utah had the lowest average gasoline price in the country?

No? Seems a long time ago.

Well, AAA Utah's most recent statistics confirm just how much Utah's gas prices have changed in a few months. The agency's monthly report on prices, released Tuesday, showed that only four states had higher averages for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline.

While many surrounding states saw double-digit drops from mid-August's average, Utah's price slipped only 4 cents, to $2.94. That's 4 cents higher than a year ago and a far cry from December's even $2 and January's $2.08.

Only Nevada, California, Idaho and Hawaii have higher averages than Utah. Hawaii leads the way, at $3.28. By contrast, Ohio has the lowest average, at $2.31.

Utah's prices hit a high of $2.99 on Aug. 21. The highest national average was $3.06 on Sept. 5, 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina.

The national average now stands at $2.61, down 39 cents from a month ago and 36 cents from a year ago.

"The drop in the national average price can be attributed to many factors, including falling world oil prices, the end of the summer driving season and the slowing of the U.S. economy," Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokeswoman, said in a prepared statement. "The thus-far benign 2006 Atlantic hurricane season and a relatively quiet Middle East, from an energy production standpoint, have eased speculators' concerns about oil supplies and helped lower prices."

AAA Utah surveys a limited number of communities across the state in its monthly gas report. Individual service stations sell gas at both higher and lower prices, sometimes even in the same city block. AAA's report focuses on self-serve regular gasoline without regard to its octane level.

Among Utah cities in the AAA survey, the largest price drops were in Logan and Salt Lake, which saw 5-cent decreases. The smallest decreases were 2 cents in Ogden and Vernal.

Meanwhile, Utah lagged behind Intermountain West states in price decreases. Arizona's average fell 29 cents from August, to $2.63. Colorado's average of $2.86 was down 20 cents. Wyoming's decrease to $2.86 was 17 cents. Idaho's $2.97 average was down a nickel.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell by almost 3 percent Tuesday, dipping below $64 a barrel as worldwide demand and supply threats ease. After a seven-day sell-off, crude futures are at their lowest level since late March.

Falling oil prices are not uncommon at this time of year, when gasoline consumption traditionally tapers off and winter fuels demand has yet to ramp up.

But the market has been especially weak lately, falling roughly 18 percent since mid-July, because fears of a powerful Atlantic hurricane season have so far proved unwarranted and because traders are increasingly skeptical that a diplomatic standoff between the United Nations and Iran will lead OPEC's No. 2 producer to pull supplies from the market.